Rise Of The Phantom Ninja
by Specslash
Summary: As Naruto was beaten by Orochimaru in the forest of death, he meets Tai, who gives him info on this new ability he gained. Watch as Naruto and his ghost friend Tai as they go to help Naruto bring peace to the world, and hopefully, become Hokage.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, guys Spec here and to give you the rewrite of the ghostly ninja. If it wasn't for Zakura Koi, I wouldn't have gotten such good ideas. Kudos to him/her. Enjoy!**

**"Haha" - Demonic**

_**"Haha"- demonic thoughts**_

_"Haha"- Thoughts_

"haha"- speech

**Rise of the Phantom ninja**

*The Forest of Death(Training ground 44)*

"Damn!" Naruto groaned as he was separated from Sasuke and Sakura, a giant snake on his tail. "Get off me!"  
Unfortunately for Naruto, the giant snake finally lurched forward, swallowing Naruto with a mighty snap!

"Oh, damn, now what?" Naruto pondered. "wait, could I... yes!" He finished talking as he created multiple shadow clones.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto announced as hundreds of shadow clones appeared in poofs of smoke. The giant snake expanded until it's body couldn't take the heat, and exploded in a fit of blood and guts.

"Eww. That's disgus- huh?" Naruto questioned as he felt a wave of evil energy coming from a small point in the forest. "Over there!" He jumped from branch to branch, intent on finding Sasuke and Sakura, afraid they would be in trouble.

After what seemed like hours to the impatient blond enigma, he finally landed onto the ground. As he hid behind a tree, he saw... some guy biting Sasuke, and Sakura watching the fight with horror.

"Argh!" Sasuke hollered out in pain as a wave of evil energy washed over him.

"Sasuke!" Sakura screamed "What did you do to him, Orochimaru?" she then demanded.

"kukuku, he will soon seek my power, yessss." Orochimaru creepily replied as he jumped away from a wave of kunai.

"What did you do to him?" The now revealed Naruto yelled out.

"Hm, your ssstil alive? I thought that sssnake would take care of you. No worriesss, I'll take care of you now."

"You hurt my friends, **You freaking Bastard!**" The quick-tempered Naruto roared out.

"N-naruto?" Sakura stuttered out. clearly scared for her life. She hastily dragged Sasuke to cover.

**"I'm Gonna hurt you up, real bad!" **Naruto growled out. He then dashed toward Orochimaru at great speeds, delivering a powered-up punch towards his cheek. But unfortunately for Naruto, his snake-like opponent, slithers from view.

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!" Orochimaru stated as he directed a strong force of wind at Naruto.

**"Rawrr!" **Naruto roared as a gust of wind countered the other wind jutsu. Right after that, he suddenly disappears and reappears to Orochimaru, narrowly missing his target as he tried to claw the creepy Orochimaru. As Orochimaru disappeared from view, he is finally able to hit Naruto with a bone- crushing kick to the gut.

"Ouch." Orochimaru said as he noticed the corrosive effects of the demonic chakra hurting him. With no time to react, he was kicked up in the air, the Earth scroll falling out of his pouch.

_"Argh, this is getting troublesome, i'll try to kill him now_._"_ He thought as he prepared a blade. He then slithered at such great speeds towards Naruto, and before Naruto could register what was going on, he saw a sword piercing through his chest, wait, no that was wrong, he fazed through it.

"Ugh! your better than I thought, kyuubi-brat. Unfortunately for you, I can't play with you anymore. Five Elements Seal!" Using Naruto's distraction to his advantage, he promptly cut off his Chakra flow.

"Ugh..." Naruto swayed and fell over.

"Where am I?" Naruto pondered as he looked around a giant glass box.

"I have been waiting for you." A voice called out.

"Who... are you? Where are you?"

"I am Tai, you cannot see me because I am merely... a ghostly conscious. I have traversed this hate-filled world, to find a person... worthy of my pow-"

"BAHAHAHAHAAA! A fish, really? Your named after a fish!" Naruto cackled.

"No you dumbass! As in 'Body, BODY!"

"Fine... fish! That never gets old!" Naruto cackled.

"*sighs*" Tai sighs as he tells Naruto the main reason for him being here.

"As I said, I noticed all the pain you've gone through after years of deciding who will finally wield my power. Somebody who has a clear idea of hatred, but still carries on in life."

"Will it help me to become Hokage?" Naruto dumbly asks.

"It may, but use this power wisely, or I could leave your body, you losing the power." Tai replies.

"So what's this power like?" Naruto questioned. In response to that, a knife appeared out of nowhere and sped towards Naruto's chest. It then passes through it.

"COOL! So I can faze through stuff?"

"Yes, and as you grow to protect your friends, this Ability will have stages to it. To activate this, you must make a small burst of chakra to make you intangible. You can faze through almost anything, from walls to other people."

Naruto was busily thinking of all the pranks he could set off with this ability, then pushed it away as Tai said to use it wisely.

"Now go, child, your friend is making a fuss out there." Tai says as he sends Naruto out of his unconscious state

"FISH!" Naruto screamed as he left.

"FUCK YOU, OKAY!" Tai hollered. "Troublesome assholes."

END

**How'd you like it? As I said, Kudos to Zakura Koi for thinking up about Tai.**

**Any suggestions are welcome. Flames are not.**

***Walks through the wall and into a different place***

**Spec: Fish!**

**Tai: Fuck you, Okay!?**


	2. Chapter 2

Hey guys, sorry for the quite long wait! The next installment of Rise of The Phantom Ninja is up. Enjoy!

**Rise of The Phantom Ninja**

*Inside Naruto's mind*

"Naruto?" Tai asked. "Damn it! I guess I haven't really mastered the art of forcing a guy out of his mind." Tai hollered out into Naruto. "Naruto, Naruto! NARUTO!" But sadly, the blond haired enigma didn't even twitch.

"Aw, shit, just hope that bubble gum-haired girl and her 2 comrades pull through." Tai continued, "Ugh Naruto chooses the worst times to be asleep."

*Forest of Death (Training Ground #44)

"NAARRUUUTOO!" Sakura yelled out. She had no other choice to scream out. She had doubted that Shikamaru and Lee would be able to beat that Dosu guy and his team. She had also felt useless in this fight.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto announced as he had woken in an instant. A large group of shadow clones tried to jump the spiky-haired adversary that was fighting Shikamaru. Shikamaru jumped back, allowing the shadow clones to overwhelm the teen, who had called himself Zaku, but the clones failed.

"Zankūha!" Zaku called out as a compressed blast of air blew all the shadow clones away. They disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Shikamaru?" Naruto inquired. "how'd you get here?"

"Man, it's such a drag, Ino chewed my butt out and I wandered off over here to find Lee trying to protect Sakura from that team over there."

"Well, well, look at the useless one of their team. I guess he finally did something worthwhile. Better than that pink-haired weakling over there." Zaku laughed.

"Hey! Nobody dares call Sakura weak! You're going to pay for trying to hurt her!" Naruto shouted at the his dark-eyed adversary as he prepared to fight.

"What a formidable opponent!" Lee thought, Dosu was able to disorient him with sound waves generated by his attack. Omote Renge! Lee cried out with blinding speed, kicked Dosu into the air and covered him with bandages, and smashed Dosu down into the ground, hard.

"Heh, Lee's got this covered." Naruto stated, seeing the position Dosu was in. Zaku, just grinned when Dosu picked himself up, mostly protected from the attack. Lee, however, stumbled a bit as Dosu delivered a power-packed punch to Lee, blowing him back a few meters. Naruto looked on in slight shock as to why Dosu didn't take much damage.

"I just channeled air through the ground to protect him, that's all." Zaku bragged.

"Shut up, I don't need to hear your explanations!" Naruto interrupted. He unfurled a scroll, throwing a Fūma Shuriken at Zaku.

"Zankūha!" Zaku cried out as he expelled a blast of air, deflecting the Fūma shuriken. Not according to plan for Naruto.

"_Naruto!"_ Tai called within Naruto's mind. _"Remember what I taught you!"_

"_Right!"_

Zaku grinned as the Fūma Shuriken neared towards Naruto, who then clapped his hands together, expelling a large amount of chakra, and walked through the Fūma Shuriken.

"What the-?" Zaku didn't get to finish his sentence when Naruto appeared in front of Zaku.

"Yeah. You're screwed." Naruto grinned as he summoned a few shadow clones that all hit Zaku with consecutive blows and kicks. Finally, Naruto ended his attacked with a swift punch to Zaku's bruised face, pushing him back pretty far. It hurt Zaku like a ton of bricks being thrown at him, Naruto, he realized, hit hard.

"Damn." Cursed Zaku as he lay in the dirt. He got up, not ready to give up.

"Give it your worst shot!" Naruto teased, but a bit sluggishly, his blond hair waving around as if to taunt Zaku. "Why am I feeling tired? This hasn't happened to me before." Naruto wondered.

*With Sakura*

Sakura didn't know what to do, but she had to do something, Sasuke wouldn't budge, and the enemy were stronger than her. She just HAD to do something.

Suddenly, a wave of those thin senbon needles were directed at her from the shrubbery.

"Woah!" Sakura ducked just in time to see the black-haired girl with that scarf emerge from the bushes-Kin Tsuchi. Sakura jumped back, kunai in a ready position.

"You know, I've always hated you fashion freaks." Kin said, "Especially the ones who aim at the career of a ninja chasing after the coolest boy in class or something, pathetic!"

Sakura trembled as she cut a wire, triggering a trap. Kin had barely enough time to roll out of the way as a giant log came flying at her. It continued it's crash course and utterly destroyed several trees, and even more than that. Sakura had devised a plan to alert her comrades to her location. The whole group fighting were alerted to her presence.

"Oh no!" Lee shouted in the middle of his fight with Dosu. "My lovely pink-haired princess needs me! Onward! With the full power of youth!" Lee was a bullet as he tore through the shrubbery, with Dosu at his tail. Dosu then swung at the empty space in front of him, directing sound to Lee's ears, disorienting him badly.

"Give up, my sound will always beat you." Dosu stated calmly. He approached Lee, ready to finish him off as he was immobilized temporarily.

"Goodbye." Dosu took out a kunai, ready to kill Lee once and for all, he took a swing at Lee.

"Gai-sensei, I've failed you." Lee muttered, still nauseous from Dosu's attack and couldn't move clearly. "I'm sorry." Lee waited for his early death, but nothing. Nothing happened.

"Kagemane no Jutsu, Success, while you were concentrated on your opponent, I took my chances, simple as that, anyone could have done that." Shikamaru revealed himself from behind a tree. "Now Lee!" Shikamaru signaled as he disabled his technique just as Lee started to barrage Dosu with kicks and punches, aiming to overwhelm his opponent. Lee finished off with a power-punched round-house kick to Dosu's face, but was blocked in the middle of it. The epic combat continued along Sakura's location, near where Naruto and Zaku were giving it their all.

" Sit Still! Zankūha!" Zaku burst out a compressed air bullet at Naruto, who sidestepped, the attack cutting through the tree behind him.

"Not too shabby! But, eat my kunai!" Naruto threw a kunai lazily onto the ground.

"Seriously? You must suck kid." Zaku laughed as he used his signature move again, but it was taking a toll on his chakra reserves. Instead of using both his hand to fire the technique, he used separate hands to trap Naruto in between the blasts of air.

"hehehe, this is why they call me Konoha's Prankster!" Naruto grinned devilishly as the kunai he threw transformed into a clone of him, which then threw Zaku off balance, interrupting the jutsu.

"Damn I'm getting tired more!" Naruto as he jumped back a few meters from Zaku.

The whole fight ended up at Team 7's campsite. All hope seemed lost. Then, suddenly, Everyone felt a large mass of evil intent coming from only one person- Sasuke.

"S-sasuke!" Sakura cried out hopefully, she being in a compromising position against Kin, who had pinned her down

"Fuck! Why the fuck does everyone have to insist on disturbing my beauty sleep? I lay here for fucking hours, screaming for the noise to stop but nooo!" Sasuke roused from his slumber, VERY angry. " Who the hell has been frickin' around with my sleep?!

"That would be me, grandpa." Zaku said cockily, being the dumbass he is.

"Is that so?" well, if you don't get out of here in 5 seconds, I will break your plugged-ass, fake-ass arms!" Sasuke hollered out, the black flame marks on his body extending a bit more.

"_Woah, that teammate of yours is pretty pissed off." Tai whistled._

"_He's not usually like this, Tai, he's usually cool, calm and… well, Sasuke." Naruto replied seriously._

"Make me." Zaku grinned, "If you have the guts."

Everybody looked at Zaku as if he had gone cuckoo.

"Zaku, maybe we ought to leave him alone…" Kin and Dosu trailed off.

"No." Zaku said confidently.

Silence…

Zaku was suddenly met with pain in his arms, as Sasuke started to twist them with force. Zaku couldn't get free of Sasuke's Iron grip, trapped.

"Please, no… NOO!" Zaku cried as a sickening crunch was heard from his arm.

"**Aughh!"** Zaku's face contorted from that of remorse, to extreme pain.

"S-s-sasuke! Stop! Please!" Sakura cried, tears flowing from her eyes, "Stoooop!" She ran over to him, and embraced him. "Don't do this, Sasuke, please, stop." She whispered, "this isn't like you Sasuke."

As if a miracle occurred, the black flame marking on Sasuke receded into the tattoo on his neck, and Sasuke's face twisted from evil, to that of confusion.

"What… happened?" Sasuke pondered. "This power…"

"We are sorry for the trouble." Dosu bowed, putting their Earth scroll in front of the team, and Shikamaru and Lee. "But this isn't over." Dosu collected Zaku's unconscious body with Kin and fled.

"Oookay, so since It's a drag to fight you 3 while Lee and I are 1 each from our team… can I have that scroll?"

"Take the one on the ground, we have all we need." Sakura said.

"Yosh! The full power of youth always prevails!" Lee shouted enthusiastically, while dashing back to his team, but not before blowing a kiss to his angel, who then wiped her cheek

"Eww!" Sakura said.

"Damn, Sasuke, that was brutal, what happened?" Our favourite blond questioned.

"Hn." Sasuke grunted. "Dobe, shut up."

"Teme!" Naruto growled.

"Hn. That fight attracted a lot of attention to our campsite, lets go, before we face any more troubles, let's go straight to the tower." Sasuke ordered.

"How the hell are you supposed to know? You were asleep!"

"Hn." Sasuke grunted in response.

"_So, it's Orochimaru." Tai realized, "That seal he put on Naruto was made to seal the kyuubi's chakra… so that's why he's so fatigued. Can't do anything as it is now, better find a seal master to work this out."_

**End**

**Did you like it? Don't forget to rate and review, plus give me tips on what I can do to make this better. Here's an omake for you!**

Omake

"Who disturbs my sleep?" Sasuke rouses from his sleep, purple energy swaying around him.

"That'd be me, grandpa." Zaku replied cockily.

"YOU! I will burn you to ash, then I'll burn your ashes to ash, then I will burn your burnt ashes, to more ASHES!" Sasuke screamed like a madman.

"KATON: GOKAKYU NO JUTSU!" Sasuke announced as he burnt Zaku to ash

"Katon: …" Sasuke blew another fireball and burnt Zaku's ashes to more ashes.

(AN: … means and so on.)

**Did you like it, don't forget to stay tuned and help me get better at writing this shit. ( awesome stuff.)**

**Flamers are not welcome, they can go fuck themselves in the ass for all I care.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Sasuke could've agreed to the fact that it was brutal, he didn't even care that sound ninja deserved it anyway. He let out a cold cruel sneer, he'd never admit it but that had been strangely satisfying, the throbbing pain, the sound ninja had given him a sweet moment of happiness, sure it was sadistic, but that fleeting moment had been extremely satisfying, the power surge though was something he couldn't comprehend.

He looked at the blonde running on the trail beneath him, he'd been right that had been brutal, too sadistic, moving through the trees with the warm air brushing his face was enough to make him realize that. The wind was strong; it had almost made him lose his balance a while ago. Naruto had fallen and had been running down ever since. Sasuke saw the chance to make a jump to another tree branch. The wind was too heavy; he could have been thrown off balance. He stopped for a swift moment and glared at Sakura. She was too close; several locks of bubble gum pink hair blew into his mouth. He drew a kunai and placed it uncomfortably close to her torso, and then the cold cruel grin slowly returned to conquer his emotionless face. His facial muscles fought in a duel to the death yet, he decided on the grin. Sakura's eyes trailed down following Sasuke's. She let out a soft gasp at the sight of the blade and moved several paces away from Sasuke

"Naruto Cannon!" The blonde announced as he flew toward Sasuke, fist clenched and drawn back ready to punch the Uchiha's out his senses.

"What the…" Sasuke said preparing his hand seals, as the blonde's fist landed in his face, he felt his facial muscles vibrate as he fell to the lush ground.

"Keep your mitts to yourself," Naruto said as he landed on the branch "you don't threaten Sakura-chan, you got that punk."

Sasuke sat up and rubbed his nose. He grunted and then smiled coldly. "Hm," he sniffled, a sadistic laugh followed. Naruto's face suddenly changed from anger to confusion. He blinked and looked down at the ground where Sasuke formerly sat.

"And what happens?" A breathy voice whispered in his ear, the cold wind trailed down his spine, the voice wasn't Sasuke's, or anyone he recognized else's. Sakura-chan was not her anymore. Instead it was a male, taller than Naruto, his olive skin complemented his evil look, his eyes were narrow slits the cold look in them made Naruto realize that they were not here for a pre-victory tea party. His hands dug into his long silver hair and pulled it back. His ninja pack was beneath his sword scabbard on his muscular thighs. he wore a simple grey outfit and black leather sandals, his head protector showed he was from Kumogakure; the hidden cloud village." if i threaten my own teammate?,"

Naruto turned around, the one behind him looked older but otherwise the same, twins.

Shit.

"How'd you..." Naruto began.

"Simple thing dumbass," the older looking one said "we saw you at your campsite you have both scrolls, that Uchiha curse mark brat gave them to you, and he sends you out to catch fish, hmm, pathetic."

"Give them to us" the younger twin said "and we'll let you go." his voice was less hoarse but just as cold.

"Sure I will, just let me live alright" Naruto said as he reached into his pack and pulled out two scrolls. He handed it to them and tried hard to conceal his fast approaching laughter. the two boys each took a scroll and opened it.

"You..." the twins tried to say.

"Kage Bunshin no jutsu!" Naruto said as the shadow clones landed several blows in several places forcing several grunts that were several octaves higher than a human voice box could utter. the kumo twins fell to the ground with a thud. the older one's eyes trailed upward catching a glimpse of the clones before they sank their feet into his stomach. Naruto's bare knuckles met with the numb surface of the boy's face. the clones lifted him up from the crater they'd made, each of them disgusted by the blood slowly dripping from his cut lips. They threw him up and a few leaped after him. Naruto performed the hand seals and made more shadow clones on the ground. as the boy came back down he saw Naruto's several clenched fists. His eyes met Naruto's own. Then the boy smiled, that had been a nice trick, using the duplicate scrolls to fake desperation like that. He was the dead last Daisuke and him had heard realized that they had underestimated him. He smiled harder that scroll he had said 'ramen with pork bento.' that boy had led them to drop their guard, not bad for a dead last, but he had several tricks of his own.

He formed his hand seals with blinding speed "Raiton: Raitatsu no jutsu!"

A huge, flying, lighting covered snake spun past Daisuke's older twin and dove straight down ,instantly frying the clone on contact. Naruto saw no way out of this one, he'd known that it was wrong for Sasuke to send him out fishing but he had to find a way out of the forest to the tower or else he'd never become Chunnin like he'd hoped. he was going to be cooked by the lightning dragon.

Tai, inside Naruto's open mind realized that Naruto was preparing himself for the pain he'd take, not the death that may or may not come.

_"Alright, _Naruto's thoughts echoed in Tai's ears_, Bounce back right after the hit, no matter what Naruto, death is not a frigging option, til' you become Hokage, no way you're gonna die!"_

Naruto closed his eyes and hid amidst the clones who did the same, _Ready_.

_"Soul Style: Soul Viper Protection Jutsu_." Tai's voice boomed in Naruto's head. A cloud of cold mist, erupted from beneath Naruto, shielding him from the dragon as it threatened to penetrate the huge barrier that had a cobra head on the tip of the wall protecting Naruto.

Yakuro-the older twin- stared in amazement as he dropped to the ground, he twisted right before landing allowing graceful and painless contact with the ground. His eyes widened, that boy, if not dead should have been out cold yet he was standing fatigued yet unscathed there should have been deep cuts or a busted forehead or any of the usual effects of the deadly justu he'd just pulled.

Yakuro looked up and realized that Daisuke was coming in from behind the brat. the younger twin lunged and twisted as his sword blessing went through the blond haired boy's back. he smiled coldly. his expression shifted to suprise when the clone turned into a puff of smoke.

_"What the heck? _Tai wondered,_ He was never there, but where is he? Naruto!"_

Confusion was all he felt, he'd used Naruto's chakra to create that jutsu all to protect a clone, he must have been tired but if he wasn't there where was he?.

_"Right here._ Naruto whispered to Tai attaching a paper bomb to his ninja sandal,_ Now quit yellin', you're giving me a headache!" _Tai took in Naruto's position he was behind the younger twin brother. that kid was wise for a person who moaned in his head about failing ninja school.

A part of Yakuro was slightly impressed by this boy, too many tricks had been pulled on them without him even knowing and Yakuro and his brother had been sure to research on everyone. this boy was supposedly the easiest target to pick. Had he been wrong, Had the ninja academy files been wrong about... Naruto Uzumaki , yes?

"Okay, Daisuke spoke astonishment written on his face. let's try that again. Raiton: Rainatsumi no jutsu!" the tip of his blade instantly became decorated with streaks of lightning. He tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword and placed it on the ground instantly creating a crater the size of a large rabbit hole. He took swift swings at the air slicing and dicing it, a cold laughter escaping from his lips. Streaks of lighting darted down the grassy plain of the forest cutting and burning the blades of grass.

Naruto had no way out of this one, it was either make the paper bomb he'd placed underneath the older looking twin explode and cause the younger one to stop his dance or evade the jutsu by phasing through it and wasting his chakra. The former left no time for evasive action against the jutsu and the latter meant that Naruto could probably die from chakra loss. Naruto decided to go with another choice.

_"Tai, take over my body! _Naruto ordered, _Now!"_

Tai formed the hand seals and did so.

As Naruto Tai realized the boy was light on the top half of the body and heavy on the bottom half. Naruto had a body perfect for a combination of speed, power and agility. Sweet

The ghost bent his knees and placed his left leg forward. He drew a kunai and leaped to the side as the trail of fire came in. a wave of heat brushed against Naruto's jumper shorts. The trail bended and Tai ran away ,the heat beginning to form an unfriendly acquaintance with Naruto's back. Tai leaped onto the branch of a tree and panted. That had been too slow for his liking, there was little chakra left in him. Naruto's eyes trailed where the older twin had been standing beneath his left sandal there was a tiny red sheet of paper with kanji writings on it. A paper bomb tag.

"Release" Tai said in Naruto's voice. The dark skinned boys were blown back, the explosion forcefully throwing them into the stem of a tree. Pain surging through their heads was all they could remember before the darkness.

Naruto was almost out of chakra; Tai apologized to Naruto and pulled his hair back.

_"Naruto, the tower is just ahead. _Tai spoke in tranquillity_. Sleep. I'll get your friends for you."_

_"No. I have to..."_ Naruto tried to protest before a faint snore echoed in Tai's ears.

Tai just smiled. that blonde was persistent. He had such a huge will of fire. that boy was going to become a good Hokage and if he wasn't already dead, he would have wished to live long enough to see it. He started a dash back to the campsite where the Uchiha and the pink haired girl had been.

Sasuke had been going through the scrolls when he saw blonde running in with his hands behind him and his weight thrown forward to give him speed, sure he was slow but Naruto, Sasuke could have bet his life on it, didn't know how to perform a ninja dash.

"Stop." Sasuke said.

Tai continued forward not hearing what the Uchiha had said.

Sasuke quickly drew a kunai and launched it at the presumed fake. Tai twisted in Naruto body evading the kunai completely.

"Multiply." said Sasuke as he finished the hand seals he'd performed.

Tai gasped as the kunai flew back at him. He cart wheeled to the side evading a few and jumped over a kunai, he quickly drew out several kunai of his own and threw them at the blades flying in from behind him. He quickly drew out a summoning scroll and held a Fuma shuriken in front of him, deflecting the knives that came at him. he dropped the Fuma shuriken and flipped back as Sasuke raised his leg to his face.

"What the heck, sleeping beauty?" Tai said calmly, starting to have fun.

Naruto was loud, Sasuke knew that and the fact that his taijutsu was poor, he knew Naruto couldn't do this if his life had depended on it. something wasn't right and Naruto or whoever the fake was had to be considered a strong opponent.

"Look Sasuke, those scrolls what are they?" Tai asked in Naruto's voice.

Sasuke sniffled "Like I will tell you that" Sasuke said "What's the password?"

"Naruto."

"Why did we pick that?"

"Didn't listen, I was thinking about ramen." As Tai said this he struggled to hide his embarrasment.

" it's Alright."

"I found a way to the tower." Tai said calmly, still wondering why there was the look of distrust for him in the Uchiha's eyes. "It's far from here, through the leaves that way." Tai pointed in the southeast direction. For once Naruto had said something credible, something that was in par with Naruto. he'd pointed in the direction instead of saying the exact cardinal point.

"Where's pinky?"

Sasuke glared at him.

"Hello?" Tai said, lifting his shoulders, "the kunoichi ,the bubble gum pink haired girl."

Sasuke bit back a holy barrage of insults. So much for credibility.

"Forget it." Tai said. "tell her we have to go we've already lost time tricking those two Kumo ninja."

Sasuke did so hesitantly and broke into a dash, they proceeded through tress, jumping over several stomps which Sasuke could've bet that Naruto would have tripped over and moving past vines that Sasuke, without thought, would have bet on his life the Naruto would get entangled in. Tai. Sakura was her usual annoying self, and for the first time Sasuke was happy to be angry. Sakura was no different from her usual carrying, but annoying self. He could trust her, just this once.

At the tower, everyone had already settled in. The Hyuuga girl, whose smile had reminded Tai of the smile Akeno, his daughter used to give him before he'd died had her legs crossed on the mat a few meters from the door. Sweet, loving Akeno. He missed her warm embrace and the kisses she blew at him when he was going for missions. Tai hadn't realized he'd been staring until he noticed the bright red that had swallowed her cheeks. Tai didn't trust the white haired bespectacled kid who had a smile that seemed too reassuring. He leaned against the wall and pushed his round spectacles back in place then smiled some more as if studying Naruto. Tai turned away from the boy and looked in Sasuke's direction.

Sasuke immediately grabbed a chair and dragged it to the corner of the room. He opened the scrolls and began reading and signaled for Sakura to come. She rushed over to him and leaned in closer to hear him. Tai followed after her closely, wondering what Sasuke had called her for.

"Sakura..." he said

"Yes Sasuke" Sakura said before the Uchiha could say anything else, the giggling that followed irritated him, yet he stretched his face and gave a fake smile. Anger rushed through Naruto's mind, Tai placed his hand on Naruto's chin and began stroking it until he realized he didn't have his beard again, just tiny wisps of hair slipping through his fingers.

Tai realized that Naruto had some emotional attachment to this pink haired girl and he smiled at the memory of Akeno's first crush, that Ryuudan kid that set him on fire. The memory forced a smile out of him.

_"Kids always forget the difference between attraction and love."_

The teacher popped in, he was a leaf Chunnin. Tai shut his eyes throughout the elaboration of the point of the scrolls, that immense chakra he felt in Naruto's mind was flowing back again. Tai needed to materialize before the Kyuubi's chakra took over his chakra state. No choices left now…

**Sorry it took so long dudes, my friend Youkai Zeta and I are now working on this together so don't forget to tip us up on how to make this better. Flamers are welcome at the risk of being victimized by the demon Zeta.**

**R**

**R**


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